Author's Note: Though the Predator is Copyright to Fox, the characters belong to me.
Edit - I have gone back and edited some things: Heshtk-eki to Hehtk-eki, I'sh-eki to I'h-eki (since a Yautja cannot pronounce the "sh" and am hoping I got all those little errors) and the title, Fall of a City, to, Fall of a Clan.
Chapter One: Fall of a Clan
Hehtk-eki, daughter of I'h-eki, of the Guan Kainde Thwei clan, stood proudly on her personal Tank Crawler behind the lines of her advancing troops, watching as they slaughtered all Dkais outside the wall that got in their way. One hand placed on the support railing connecting between the front and back support railings and other hand on the hilt of U'sl-kwe, her family sword. The insignia of her clan marked on both sides of the sword''s sheath as a larger symbol was etched onto her demonic resembling helmet that was also embedded onto the armor of all her soldiers and branded on the nations, clans and high-ranking families she owned. A silvery cape made of a material mixed of cloth and chain mail hung from her outward pointed armor laden shoulders that trailed down her husky nine-foot tall Yautja frame to her ankles, the rest of her body strapped with the same bulky armor, impenetrable by most Yautja blades. A Plasma Rifle hung from her left with a Naginata on her back under her cape. A necklace made of bone and smoothed stones hugged her neck that was given by her eldest sister, Huj'eth-eki, as a gift for achieving full leadership of the clan. Other various bones hung from her neck and armor from rare animals with two Yautja skulls hanging in net bags from her hip. They were underling Leaders who had betrayed her and as a warning slaughtered them on their own lands, hung them by their feet from their own gateways and skinned them.
A bark caught her attention from the right and turned to it. There, standing proudly beside her Crawler, dressed in full body armor was, Ne'ha-akt, her first Commander and personal friend. "What is it, Ne'ha?" She said to the average sized male.
"The troops have seized Dkai, only a few small bands are fighting to protect it."
She cracked a Yautja smile. The battle lasted no time at all. The Dkai's were poor warriors, only thing they could preform well was cultivating lands, and as a result of it had caused the land to flourish in healthy wildlife and vegetation, even the water was clean, which was why she wanted it, Dkai would become another food manufacturer for her growing army, possibly a resting ground for the regiments of her wounded regiments that needed mental and spiritual healing as well as physical healing. Heshtk patted the side of the Crawler, "Get in." She said to Ne'ha before moving to the other side then dropped into the open single passenger cockpit. Ne'ha getting into the other. Then she leaned forward to the middle where she tapped the male driver on the shoulder, moments later the Tank Crawler started in a roar then its treads moved forward taking them to the war torn, smoking city.
Like every flourishing city, the outer area and electronically controlled gates, were surrounded by a thick wall of dense alloy coated with a burn resistant skin, the hotter the substance became the stronger the skin became, resulting afterwards only with burn residue and minor scaring. No one could penetrate by ground force, it all had to be done through arial attacks, but doing so would have costed precious land resources from stray fire and falling ships, until Heshtk came up with a plan by using Electro Magnetic Pulses and Liquid Ice. Because of using these two resources and backed up by her forces along with their precise timing could initiate ground attacks without the use of ships. Preforming so many ground missions had also taught the regiments stealth and patience: The females could now move with light steps like the males and the males could remain silent in one area for a period of days like the females. These experienced regiments had become single minds that could attack any clan or army without flaw and were her main key in most her attacks, these regiments she had named: Nain-de Jehdin
They passed the city gates and onto the stone laden streets passing the metal buildings and over lapping archways. Soldiers were gathering males, females and younglings into small groups, there were small bouts every few meters, what foolish Dkai believed there was a chance to save their clan. Bodies of both sides of all ages filled the streets and walkways, blood from the bodies on the above walkways dripped below giving waterfall-like show, and the bodies left on the street only disappeared beneath the treads of the Crawler. Heading to the heart of Dkai, a towering temple-like building made of stone and metal surrounded with sub buildings, manors, court yards and stone ponds. The Crawler reached the sub entrance and they dismounted before the engine stopped and entered the long hallway, Hehtk and Ne'ha reached the other end and were met by a series of stairs which they ascended that would lead them to the great Chamber of Leaders. They entered the chamber, the pillars of the great hall glowing with the names of Dkai's past Leaders, and at the other end of the chamber was another series of steps, each having one pair of stone chairs that all formed into a pyramid formation until reaching the final step where a lone thrown sat.
Ne'ha behind her, she reached the thrown and circled it, her hand running along its smooth surface then sat within it, her armor clanking as she did so then sat back smiling: Another clan, another thrown.
"Does it feel good?" Ne'ha asked, taking a seat beside her one step lower.
Hehtk shifted, "It feels great."
"My liege?" A voice questionably called from behind them making both jump and look behind them, there stood an average sized and blood-covered Guan Kainde Thwei clan soldier, a fresh Yautja head hanging from his trophy bag.
"What is it?" Heshtk replied, "How did you get there without our knowing?"
The soldier lowered his head ever so slightly, "There is a passage way on the far wall my liege. And, some of the soldiers and I have found a strange container of the sorts, we cannot open it and our visuals cannot see what is inside it."
Hearing that caused her to stand, Ne'ha following. "You are not operating your equipment correctly then." She snapped.
"No my liege, I am. Other soldiers even tried but came through with the same results. The electronic eyes within our masks become distorted, even our body equipment begins to malfunction when we near it."
"Show us." She ordered, and with that said, the male turned headed to the very back of the room. The walls formed outward then moved back then out of view and stretched into the final back wall, but when the soldier reached where the wall went out of view he followed it, turning right, and when Heshtk reached him she was surprised to find a secret narrow passage. Clever. She thought. Standing from the thrown there was no possible way to tell there was a passage way. It was a perfect escape plan.
Hehtk almost couldn't fit into the passage, her armor scraped and scratched against the metal walling and almost got stuck when she pivoted her arm too far out causing her chest to shift and press against the wall.
She a heard a slight hiss from Ne'ha in the cold darkness, "Do not get stuck Heshtk, I do not want to be the one to push and shove at your big-ass."
She grunted and turned to the male as she scooted along, only he would say such a thing to her, only he was daring enough to trial against her fury if she felt one bit insulted. It was even more so that this wasn't the time for joking, but he was daring as much as he was a fool, and that was the main reason why she considered him a friend. When any Yautja would show a hint of fear toward her, he would still keep his posture and even stare straight into her eyes, he was physically weaker but held a strong spirit that always kept her piqued.
A light came from the end they were nearing then finally came out at the other end, Hehtk's armor now covered in white scratches. Six soldiers, two males and three females, turned to them as they entered then quickly dipped their heads as soon as they noticed their Leader had entered, then the two were lead to a large container no taller then a male and the length of two standing side-by-side.
The sight made her click in impressment. Walking to the container had caused the electronic vision to overlap continuously, then touching it had caused her left computer to begin beeping and her cloak to flicker on and off as blue electrical ribbons sputtered all around her body causing her to back away, and as soon as she did everything went back to normal. What happened made her chuckle. "How clever these Dkai's are: A hidden passage way and a Gkin-L'ulij-bpe Tjau'ke container." She turned to Ne'ha and seen he was only standing there staring at her, unable to read his expression that were hidden behind his mask she asked. "Do you know what a Gkin-L'ulij-bpe Tjau'ke is?"
Ne'ha only replied by shaking his head.
She turned back to the container, "Gkin-L'ulij-bpe Tjau'ke is a highly magnetic stone found deep in mountains and underground that causes any near electronics to malfunction, which makes this container the example of perfect craftsmanship."
Ne'ha puffed at her last remark, "It's nothing but a stone box. How can hat be anything related to craftsmanship."
Not surprised, Heshtk turned to him and cracking her mandibles apart. "This was nothing but a giant slab of stone before, a stone burner couldn't have cut and formed this container, it was done by hand." Then she watched as Ne'ha turned to it.
"So how do we open it then?"
Smiling, Hehtk removed her wrist computer and handed it to a nearby male that was followed by removing her mask and handed it to the same male, then she removed her power pack and handed it to the second closest, a female. "By force." Replied Heshtk as she stepped to the container and ran her talons along the crevices where the door and side of the container met until reaching the middle. "Someone hand me their spear." A female had stepped forward quickly and handed her Leader her spear then stepped back as Heshtk pried the tip of the blade into the small crevice and used the metal hilt of the spear as her leverage when she pushed her weight into it. All her muscular force and sheer weight when focused into the spear had forced it into the crevice causing a small opening to appear, after a few more moments the opening grew. Hehtk barked for help and a female came to her aid, after instructing the female to now help her push, she had ordered two more males to come in below and place another spear as they would preform the exercise of pulling the spear. Working as a team of four now, it wasn't long until the door was half opened, and that's when they stopped. Hehtk and the female who helped her had stepped to the side to allow the males to stand. As soon as she moved a loud roar bellowed from the inside of the container that was quickly followed by a larger figure rushing out at one of the males.
